Releases Of October In Brief: Vol. III (The Avett Brothers/ The Dismemberment Plan/ Red Fang)

Well, it’s another Bob Dylan cover band (or the Grateful Dead if you prefer). They don’t actually play covers, but they might as well. The harmonica is at least more on key than Dylan, and the voice doesn’t annoy as much, but the melodies and rolling tunes were done better by Garcia.

The country side of everything is quite fun when it gets to bluegrass, but the slow songs are insipid and bland. And the slow side makes up the bulk of this one.

Overall it’s a rather good painting of folk-rock made from dashes of Dylan, daubs of Drake, and a flourish of twee (but they’re not too cute about it). Brilliant mimicry, but, nevertheless, these influences are far too pronounced and as such one can’t score it too high for originality.

RATING: D+

NOTABLE CUTS: Open-Ended Life/ Vanity

TRASH: Morning Song/ Another Is Waiting/ Bring Your Love To Me/ Part From Me

P.S

Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks: Demos that sound exactly the same as the versions on the album. Really no point.

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Uncanney Valley – The Dismemberment Plan

Released 15th October on Partisan Records

Alternative/ Rock

Good melodies, good beats, generally decent lyrics: I’ve got to say I was pretty pleased with this release. It’s by no means something that’s going to shake up the entire rock and roll world, but at least it won’t really irritate anyone and it’s a slight cut above the rest of the indie-pop that passes for originality these days.

Perfectly designed to have your toes tapping, and to have you singing along. That doesn’t mean that it’s particularly inventive or new, but it certainly is darned catchy.

They call it ‘stoner metal’, but it’s really just sludge, and sludge is good.

Some of the solos might piss of the sludge fans who still have the audacity to call themselves grunge, but really you’re just here for the riffs, and they are brilliantly grungy. I mean, there’s not a whole lot a fucking about, it’s just out and out rock. Bang your head and don’t think about it – they didn’t

It would have been more exciting back in the nineties when sludge was still a thing, but even now it’s not unwelcome. Just don’t try and listen to the lyrics though.